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Armies of the kingdom
Armies and warriors of the kingdom All the lords of the realm are expected to have sworn warriors in their retinues, ranging from a handful of men-at-arms amongst the poorer provincial lords to the legions serving in the king's own. Apart from the official armies of the nobles, several mercenary companies exist throughout the realm, offering their services in return for coin instead of fealty. Most lords and sworn men look down at those who sell their swords, but these same lords are more than happy to hire the extra manpower witout question if the need arises. Nobles and royalty The kingdom is ruled by the high king, supported by the various nobles that are spread throughout the realm. The high king The king is the head of the dragon clan and the undisputed ruler of the realm. The capital of Caer Angleadd is by far the largest city in the entire kingdom, with a standing army of 2500 men. The king's own is the largest armed force in the kingdom, and in times of war he can call upon three times that number to muster a force capable of defeating any foe that threatens his rule. Service in the capital is viewed as a great honor, and every year hundreds of eager and hopefull warriors attend the choosing in an attempt to gain a position. Only the finest are ever selected however, so the vast majority is turned away. The king's own usually tend to the safety of the crownlands, but any jarl can petition the king for aid in times of need. More often than not the jarls will try their best to avoid this however, since petitioning the king also means that the crown will pass judgement in the conflict and thereby bypassing the jarl's own jurisdiction. = The jarls There are 18 jarls in the kingdom, each standing as overlord over a vast domain and several lesser lords. The power and influence of the jarls vary to a great degree however, all depending on the wealth of their lands. The jarl of Caer Faarn for example commands several hundred men-at-arms, funding his armies and court by a florishing trading-port in the city. At Caer Pevvyn to the far east however, the jarl has a single company of men under his banner as his lands are still mostly wilderness and scattered settlements. The hersirs Hersirs are rulers over prominent domains in their own right, but owes fealty and men to the jarls. A hersir usually commands at least a couple lesser lords, and some of the more prominent ones holds almost as much power as a lesser jarl. The military power of a hersir ranges from a couple dozen and up towards a hundred. The lords Common lords are amongst the lowest of the nobles in the kingdom. Most hold a single town or keep, with smaller villages and farmsteads to support them. Lords usually have a warband numbering from a handful of men and up to maybe two dozen. Most of them are ill-equipped to deal with threats greater than marauding bandits, and it is not uncommon for the various lords to call on alliances or hiring mercenaries to deal with bigger issues. The land-holders Land-holders are the lowest rank of nobles in the kingdom, usually younger sons of other lords that have been given a small demesne to rule in order to support themselves. Many of them are little more than a farmer with a sword. Most of the land-holders have but a few men-at-arms in their service, relying on their overlords for any military needs. Mercenaries There are many kinds of mercenaries operating in the kingdom. All of them require a charter approved by the king, but how they operate vary greatly. Due to ancient laws it's illegal for any mercenary company to operate with more than a dozen soldiers on one contract, unless ordered so by either a jarl or the king. The Oathsworn The oathsworn are often called the poor-man's army. They have several companies stationed in different areas of the kingdom, hiring out men to caravans or nobles in need. They will accept almost anyone into their ranks as long as they provide their own equipment and handle themselves according to the set rules of the company. They are known to be honorable and always upholding their bargains. In total they number close to 500 men, though most commanders usually have just a dozen or two on their payroll at any time. = The Free Brothers The brothers are a loose collection of mercenaries all answering to a single commander in their stronghold outside Caer Darin. Less structured than the oathsworn, the brothers tend to only sign on to fighting with noble armies, claiming that their superior skill would be wasted on simple guard duties. They number just under 200 soldiers, but tend to be better equipped than other sellswords. Noone can join the brothers unless personally approved by their commander. The Guardians The guardians specialize in protecting travellers and caravans, only rarely offering their services to armies. They are led by the five captains, who each commands 8 ten-man squads. Most of their operations are along the wild frontier to the east, where they strive to keep the growing settlements of the kingdom safe and supplied. The Wanderers The wanderers are not exactly a company, but rather a loose brotherhood of individuals. Having no commanders or leaders, the wanderers usually operate either alone or in small groups, offering their services to whoever can pay them. Of all the mercenaries in the kingdom, the wanderers have the strictest set of rules. These rules deals with such things as never killing surrendering foes, as well as never killing those unable to defend themselves or robbing people. If in combat however they are known to be brutally efficient. They are also by far the best soldiers for hire, and their reputation has kept them in business for centuries. Since they have no formal structure their numbers are unknown, but it also opens up for that any member of their «order» stands free to negotiate his own contracts.